Fines And Penalties In Otaki Court

Chronicle (Levin), 12 February 1949, Page 3

Fines And Penalties In Otaki Court

An interesting judgment dealing •with the responsibility of motorists Uo _ satisf y themselves that their eqiiipment is in good order after their car has been serviced was delivered by Mr. A. M. Goulding, S.M., in the Magistrates' Court, Otaki, on Thursday. • Tuckers' Radio, Ltd., charge'd faith. having defective brakes and fcleading not guiity, submitted evidence to show that they had been •fenewed a short time before. "The onus is on the motorist to featisfy himself, after having nis car Serviced, that the handbrake is effective," sai'd Mr. Goulding, adding that an offence had been proved. He imposed a fine of 10s, costs amounting to 10s.. Allan Tucker appeared to defend the charge* which was laid by Traffic Inspector C. L. Davis. Tucker submitted that the handbrake was for hol'ding purposes and not for stopping, the footbrake being, on Inspector Davis' evidence, in good order. Mr. Goulding said he could not accept this submission, and imposed a fine as above. Other Offences Defective brakes on a truck cost E. H. Moffatt £2, with costs 12s. Inspector Davis said that the brakes had been tested in Mill Roa'd on November 22 and had been found to be very bad. Defendant did not appear. M. G. Howell, of Paraparaumu, p'eaded guiity to a charge of having defective lights. Inspector R. B. Doggett prosecuted and a fine of £3 was' imposed. Costs were 10s. Charge'd with driving a heavy van at an excessive speed, J. R. Healey offered the excuse that his wife had been ill and that, having been delayed with engine trouble, he was late and had been hurrying home to her. Inspector Doggett prosecuted. Mr. Goulding accepte'd defendant's explanation, but imposed a fine of *1. Costs amounted to 10s. . "Another motorist complained of a car wandering a)l over the road. I followed it and the vehicle continued like this for a mile before I coul'd stop him." This evidence was given by Inspector Doggett on a

charge of failing to keep to the left preferred against Archibald • McCorkindale. Defendant pleaded guiity by telegram. A further statement by the inspector was to the effect that McCorkindale had been travelling at a speed of over 50 m.p.h. Defendant had sai'd that he had left Wairoa at 4.30 a.m. apd had an appointment in Wellington at 6 p.m., which he was anxious to keep. "He looked very tired," the inspector told the court. "This -was a very risky thing to do — driving a car when overtired," commente'd Mr. Goulding when imposing a fine of £4. Costs were 10s.